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Playing video games can be good for your mental health… as long as you keep it to a reasonable time limit according to a study by Nihon University. The researchers took advantage of the unusual setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, where people in Japan were at home for long periods of time and gaming consoles were running out of stock leading to only some lucky people receiving one. The benefits of playing stopped at about 3 hours.
Growing older doesn’t actually happen gracefully but rather in two “bursts”… at least at the molecular level says research by Nanyang Technological University and Stanford University. The two ages to watch out for are in your forties and sixties where our ability to metabolize things like coffee and alcohol decline.
Scientists at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have created an efficient eco-friendly cooling system that can be used for refrigeration and air conditioning. The materials in this new type of cooling react to mechanical forces to alter their temperature rather than using volatile materials. This reduces the negative effect of these cooling systems on the environment.
Huazhong Agricultural University scientists found a creepy method used by orb-weaving spiders to lure prey into their webs. The spiders trap male fireflies and then manipulate them into mimicking female signals, though the exact method is still unknown. This attracts more male fireflies looking for a date and results in them getting caught.
Temperature is only part of the story when hot weather occurs. To get the full view, the University of Tokyo improved heat stress models that can predict health impacts of climate change by adding humidity data. This will make for better heat warnings, especially in humid areas, and could help protect people from heat-related deaths.
